XVII Carvings - The Film
*PLEASE NOTE* For a better visual experience, please view our proposal HERE . If you have any trouble accessing this document, please email and request it sent to you directly.
Otherwise, continue reading...
The Story
From the time that he was a small child, Anthony Marquez knew he wanted to join the United States Marine Corps. His uncle had been a Marine in the 1970’s, and Anthony was to follow in his footsteps. He fulfilled that dream, and in 2011, was sent to the sweltering sands of the Sangin Valley, Afghanistan. His unit ultimately lost 17 Marines while deployed.
Anthony returned to the States, and soon back to civilian life. Although home, nothing would ever be the same. The faces of the men that died haunted Anthony. The hurt their families felt tugged at his own heart. Why was he allowed to come home, to live on, but those 17 men had to die? His PTSD and survivors guilt plagued his sleep, and he struggled to find a way to cope.
How could he memorialize the 17? What could he do to let their families know that their son would not be forgotten. That is when Anthony had the idea to carve with his chainsaw a “Battlefield Cross,” for every Gold Star family from his unit affected by loss. He would then, hand deliver each and every one of the carvings to the family. This became Anthony’s new mission as a Marine: to honor the fallen. He delivered the first carving to the family of Robert Greniger on July 12, 2016. That was the 5th anniversary of Greniger’s death. The last of the 17 carvings was delivered on May 23rd, 2019. The goal was complete, but the work isn’t done.
In the fall of 2021, Anthony will set out on the road once again. This being the 10th anniversary of the unit’s deployment, he wants to revisit all 17 families that received a carving. Along the way, he’ll also touch base with Marines that made it home, like he did, and recount their journey together. The trip will be documented by filmmakers Manny Marquez (Anthony’s brother), and Jesse Larvick. The goal is to make a feature length documentary and accompanying coffee table book. This is the story of XVII Carvings. Doing these carvings, and meeting with all the families has helped Anthony find healing, and this film continues that quest.
Filmmaker Bios:
Manny
Manny Marquez grew up in Oklahoma, and is of Mexican and Native American (Choctaw) decent. His parents were small business owners. Their dedication and work ethic, combined with his faith and ethnic background, are all elements Manny has brought to his filmmaking.
He studied film at the Art Center College of Design. It was here Manny deepened his love for cinema, and was convinced that every day people with a story to tell is were where he needed to train his camera.
Manny now lives in Hood River, OR with his wife and four children. He directs short-form documentaries for an array of clients ranging from pharmaceutical companies, financial firms, breweries, and beyond. He also directs broadcast commercials and music videos. His feature film Psychopath was released in 2014, and his award winning short film Operation Allie was runner up at the 2018 Big Sky Documentary Festival, and selected for the the GI Film Festival San Diego.
Manny co-directed the short film version of XVII Carvings with Jesse Larvick. They have now teamed up to make this a feature film.
Jesse
Jesse Larvick is a filmmaker living in Hood River, Oregon. His goal over the past decade has been to hone his storytelling skills and visual prowess in order to create pieces that are both eloquently communicative and beautiful. Jesse and Manny frequently ‘conspire’ together to create. He co- directed the short film “XVII Carvings” with Manny, a film featured in the San Diego GI Film Festival. The Team is currently working towards developing this respected short film into a feature documentary. When not holding a camera or sitting in the editing bay you’ll find him enjoying Oregon life with his three beautiful daughters. Jesse is owner of LarvickMedia, a turn-key production company.
Anthony
Anthony Marquez served in the United States Marine Corps from 2007-2012. His last deployment was to Sangin, Afghanistan in 2011. During that time in Sangin, his unit, 1st Battalion 5th Marines, suffered great loss, enduring over 160 WIA. Along with the wounded, 17 brothers in arms were killed on the battlefield. In 2016 Anthony had this vision: to do a chainsaw carving for each family who lost their son during that 2011 deployment to Sangin. Anthony completed all 17 carvings and delivered them to these deserving Gold Star families. But his mission to ensure they are not forgotten continues...
Why Now?
On the 10th anniversary of that 2011 deployment, the time is ripe to revisit and remember.
A Cross-Country Road Trip
Filmmakers Manny Marquez and Jesse Larvick will travel to Oklahoma in September/October to meet up with Anthony. While there, they will film Anthony’s life at home. He’ll carve a Battlefield Cross for them to see the process. Then, they’ll embark on a month long road trip all over America. The filmmakers will document each day on the road as Anthony meets up with other Marines from his unit, and revisits each family that received a chainsaw carving. Jesse, also a professional photographer, will collect portraits of the people we meet along the way for an accompanying book about the project. The idea is to really get to know the Gold Star families that have lost a loved one, but experience it through the eyes of Anthony. It is his story, but also the story of a nation that has suffered great loss through our war dead.
Budget
We are hoping to initially raise $50,000 for our filming. These funds would afford the filmmakers the ability to take time off other projects, and dedicate their entire month to XVII Carvings. This also covers a small stipend for Anthony. There will be lenses and other equipment that need to be purchased, prior to filming. Although filmmakers and Marines are used to being frugal and surviving on little resources, we’ll also have to pay for transportation, hotels, and meals. Lastly, we will set aside $10,000 of what we raise to go directly and immediately into post-production. Any questions about budget can be provided if you wish to know more.
How to Be Involved
This biggest way to be involved is by donating to this GoFundMe campaign!
Another way to help is simply by sharing our campaign on your social media pages! This will assist us in spreading the word about the great work Anthony is doing and get the film one step closer to being funded.
Prizes:
Although prizes aren’t required as part of a GoFundMe campaign, we thought it would be prudent to offer certain gifts to our contributors.
$50 donors will receive a special edition XVII Carvings T-shirt
$150 donors will receive the t-shirt and a movie poster.
$500 dollar doors receive our special coffee table book that will accompany the film.
$1000 dollar donors receive the t-shirt, poster, and book.
$5000 dollar donors receive all the aforementioned gifts, plus a carving that you can choose and discuss with Anthony, hand delivered to your home.
Donors giving in excess of $5000 will receive a producer credit in the film, including the aforementioned prizes. Contact the filmmakers directly for additional prize and credit information.
*Please Note* Prizes will be delivered after the completion of the film.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!